Electric switch



Ju ne 30, 1931. G. LEOPOLD 1,812,157

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. 29, 1927 hTToRNEYs.

Patented June 30, 1931 PATENT OFFICE GEORGES LEOPOLD, F GENEVA, SWITZERLAND ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed October 29, 1927, Serial No. 229,763, and in Switzerland April 8, 1927.

This invention relates to an electro-magnetic winding mechanism for a time-piece movement, for example a chronometer.

M It comprises, as in other lmown electromagnetic winding mechanisms for time pieces an electro-magnetic device in which the circuit is closed from. time to time and which controls a. driving spring of the movement. It is distinguished however by the I fact that the mobile portion of the electromagnetic device acts directly upon a lever controlling the electro-magnetic circuit and is actuated in opposite directions by this electro-magnetic device and by the driving 1: spring.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically two embodiments of the mechanism given by way of example.

Figure 1 is an elevation of thefirst embodiment.

Figures 2 and 3 are a horizontal section and a partial elevation of the second embodiment.

Figure 4 shows several modifications of a 2 certain finger used herewith.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail showing a certain contact device used herein.

Figure 6 is a detail view of certain parts of Figure 5, the view being at right angles to that figure.

According to Figure 1 the electro-magnetic device menioned in the introduction includes an electro-magnet 8 of which the armature 4 is fixed to the median arm of a lever 4 having the form of a Z and pivoted at one of its ends on a pivot 5. The arm 4 carries a pawl 2 pivoted thereupon at 5 and acting upon a ratchet wheel 1 rigid with the dial train of the movement, not illustrated for greater simplicity. An arrest pawl 3 prevents the ratchet wheel 1 from returningbackwards. A spiral spring 6 is hooked on the one hand to a tension adjusting screw 7, and on the other hand to the arm 4 which it urges away from the electro-magnet 8.

When the armature 4 is attracted by this electro-magnet 8 the arm 4 moves clockwise, which extends the spring 6 and causes the pawl 2 to ride from tooth to tooth upon the ratchet wheel 1, which is maintained at rest in the direction of this movement of the hands. \Vhen it ceases to be attracted, the spring 6 compels, by the agency of the pawl 2 the ratchet wheel 1 and the dial train to turn in the counter-clockwise direction to the extent permitted by the escapement.

Rubber rings 29 are disposed around the poles of the electro-magnet 8 and extend slightly beyond these so that the armature 4 cannot stick to said poles and so that it shall make no noise when it reaches the end of its movement toward 8. An adjustable abutment 80 limits the travel of the arm 4 under the action of the spring 6.

The arm 4 controls by its movements the passage of current in the electro-magnet 8. For this purpose one of the poles of the battery 9 is connected by a conductor 50 to one of the ends of the winding of 8, of which the other end is connected by a conductor 51 with 7 the control device of the circuit which is actuated by 4 and connected by a conductor 52 to the second pole of the battery 9. The control device comprises a lever 20 turning about a spindle 18 carried by a crutch 19 fixed to the upper end ofa leaf spring 10 secured at its lower portion to a fixed support 28. Under these conditions, the lever may not only turn about 18, but may also move approximately parallel to itself to a certain extent. It car- 30 ries at one of its ends a pin 16 seated, with a certain amount of play in all directions, in a notch 17 located at the free end of the arm 4. At the other end this lever is provided with a hook 21 and a nose 54 carrying a contact 35 spring 20 separated from the hook 21 by a notch 55. This hook is provided with an inclined plane 56 engaging a rigid finger 22 secured to the support 28 and carryin a metallie contact stud 23. This latter is .xed to the piece 22 and is insulated therefrom at 26. This member 22 is provided with a screw 27 whereon is mounted milled nut 24, under which the conductor 52 is gripped. The member 22 also carries a. screw 25 with which the spring may come into contact; the spring 20 and the point of the screw being coated with a precious metal suchas silver at the part where they come into contact with one another. The spring 10 and the member 22 are each provided with two superimposed holes through which pass the screws 12 of the support28,'each screw being provided with an insulating sleeve 58. V

Spacer pins 59 and hold the parts spaced properly. A washer plate 61 is arranged under the heads of the screws and the latter, when screwed up, bind the parts firmly to gether. V V

The circuit may now be traced as follows Pole of the battery 9, conductor 50, electr o-magnet 8, conductor 51, spring 10, lever 2Q, spring 20', screw 25, conductor 52, pole of the battery 9.

The height of the support 28 may be regulated by virtue of the vertical grooves 11 which are provided therein and through which the screws 62 pass.

The functioning-of the control device isas follows: 7

When the armature 4 is attracted by the electro-magnet 8 the arm 4 causes the lever 20 to turn on the spindle 18 in counter-clockwise direction. This lifts the spring 20 from the screw 25 which it was previously touching, whence thereis a break of the circuit of 8. Meanwhile the spring 10. maintains engagement between the inclined plane 56 of the hook 21 and the member 22 which is then in contact with the base of this plane.

The spring 6 thus extended by the attraction of the armature 4f contracts, thus actuatin g the ratchet wheel 1 and causing the'arm 4 toturn in the direction opposite from that of the hands of a clock. When the lower face of the notch 17" comes into engagement with the pin16 of the lever 20 and c mIne-ncesto turn this in the direction ofmovementof the hands of a clock, the inclined plane 56 of the hook 21 slides on the rod 22 and compels the lever 26 to move approximately parallel to itself from the right towards the left, in spite of the opposition of the spring 10 At a: given moment during th isdouble movement of lever 20; the rod 22 escapes quickly from the inclined plane 56, the lever 20 turns actively to a certain extentin the same directionv as previously and the spring 20. is caused to touch the-screw 215, thus closing the circuit of the electro-inagnet 8. Then the same. operations recommence. The size of the notch 17 is chosen in such a manner that the circuit remains closed until the armature 4 arrives in the immediate p o mi cf. t r s f the et 1a net 8, the circuitis thenopened', but theforce of displacement communicated to the armature 4 and to the arm 4 causes them to continue their movement for a moment against the action of the driving spring 6, until the armature touches the poles of the electro-magnet 8. This permits the passage of the pawl 2 from one tooth to another of the ratchet wheel 1, without producing as aconsequence an appreciable amount of recoil movement. This recoil does not exceed in practice for example several ten-thousandths of an inch. The size of the notch 17 should also be such as to enable the fall of the lever 20 for rapid closure of the circuit. It is practically impossible to regulate the displacement of the lever 4 in v such a manner that there does notexist between the teeth of the ratchet 1 and the pawl 2 any slight play for example of several tenthousandths of an inch. The rapiddisplacement of the return of the lever 4, under the action of the spring 6,-after each excitation of the electro-magnets 8 causes, by virtue ofthis" light play between the pawl 2 and the ratchet.

wheel 1, blows producing an irregular movement ofthe balance of the time piece move ment. In reality these inevitable blows are entirely deadened on account ofthe' cooperation of the inclined plane 56 withthe abut-.

regulated by properly adjusting the tensionv of the spring 6 by means of the screw 7. a x

In the second embodiment the arm.,4, actuated by the. electro-magnet not illustrated is connected by a connecting rod 70 to a lever 36 turning andrunning freely upon a rotat: able spindle 33. The lever 36 is rigid'with a wheel 71 having bevelled clutch teeth engage ing with a wheel 30 keyed to the spindle 33 which also carries a ratchet wheel 34 cooperating'with an arrest pawl 82 disposed on'the plate 35. A- flat spring 40'fixed at its center to the spindle 33 by anscrew 31"and pre-v senting at its ends grooves through. which screws 310i the lever 36 pass, maintains the two wheels 71 and 30, in engagement.

When the electro magnet not illustrated actuates, the arm 4 in the direction of movement of the hands of a clock (Fig. 3) and ten-I sions the spring, which is like thespring 6 of Fig.1,the lever36 turns in clockwise di: rection, the wheel 70 jumps from one or: several teeth. with-out actuating the wheel 3! which is maintained immobile by the ratchet 34 and the pawl-32. As soon as the action of 8 ceases the spring causes the arm 4to turn ina counter-clockwise directionand-the 71 to clutch the wheel 30 and thereby actuating the time-piece movement.

Figure 4 illustrates various modifications of the rod 22 of Figure 1. The modification on the left illustrates near the top a notch 38 enabling a rapid slide of the front of the hook 21. In that in the middle are provided two superimposed notches 37, the hook sliding on the intermediary ridge. The third comprises a roller 41 upon which the inclined plane of the hook 21 engages.

The driving spring of the movement may be in any suitable form, it may for example be a flat, spiral, compression spring. The spring 20 also may be omitted.

With reference to figs. 5 and 6 it may be observed that the metallic member 23 has a projection 50 which engages a flat spring 66 having one end opened out in the form of a fork and engaged by the projection 50. This spring 66 is held between two nuts 64 and 65 of which the first serves to receive a metallic contact stud 61 on the bottom 60 of the casing containing the device; the stud 61 and the bottom 60 being insulated electrically one from the other by means of an insulating washer 63 and an insulating barrel 62 which also serves as protection for the exterior part of the stud 61. This stud is provided with a hole intended for receiving a plug of the current lead.

The current passes from the screw 25 to the spring 66, then to the stud 61. This could also be arranged in such a manner as to be connected to the outer circuit by means quite different from a male plug, for example by a female plug, a nut or a screw.

The blade spring 10 should-be sufliciently long so that in all positions which the lever 20 may assume, its action on this latter should be appreciably equal, that is to say that the pressure of the inclined surface 56 upon the fixed abutment 22 should be always substantially the same.

When one of the poles of the source of current is connected to the material the pin 16 should be electrically insulated from the lever and the lever 4 should be prevented also from touching this latter.

The arm 4 may have a different form from that shown on the drawings.

This invention may be applied to any ordinary clock works by removing the usual spring box and fixing on the hour staff the ratchet 1 of this device.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form here in shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

What I claim is:

An electric circuit-closing device, compris- GEORGES LEOPOLD. 

